


Tender

by orphan_account



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FIFA World Cup, Fluff, Hotels, M/M, Mental Health Issues, OT3, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Paranoia, Platonic Relationships, Polyamory, Short Chapters, Showers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 19:17:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15079892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Despite Manu's heavy hardships and honor of being Die Mannschaft's Kapitän, Mario couldn’t say that he didn’t envy the goalkeeper. There was a piece of him (whether he chose to admit it or not) that missed Thomas dearly.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: none of the events that happen in this fic are real (with the exception of Germany being knocked out of the 2018 World Cup ;-;) and are all for fan fic purposes.

   When the final whistle blew and the atmosphere became far too overwhelming, the striker weaved his way blindly through the sea of ecstatic Korean players and distraught German’s. Thomas had long since disappeared. The last Mario had seen of him the Bavarian’s face was blotchy and red. Eventually, Mario made his way to an empty portion of the pitch and sat down, resting his arms upon his knees staring blankly into the throng of players. The cheers and boos eventually became white noise, his teammates sobs barely audible. He expected to feel a whirlwind of emotion but instead he felt _nothing._ Germany had won not four years ago – without him.

  Of course it stung but he accepted this bitter reality. The reality that Germany won the world cup without Super Mario, accepted that Thomas had found someone better, someone worthy of his love, and he accepted this shitty defeat. It wasn’t undeserved but it wasn’t something he necessarily wanted either.

  The striker nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a strong hand grasp his shoulder. His breathing hitched when he slowly raised his gaze and met Manuel’s dull blue eyes. The goalkeeper displayed no emotion other than fatigue. After all he _was_ the captain – Manuel made it his duty to take care of his team first then himself later. There would be time to grieve later on.

  Despite Manu's heavy hardships and honor of being Die Mannschaft's Kapitän, Mario couldn’t say that he _didn’t_ envy the goalkeeper. There was a piece of him (whether he chose to admit it or not) that missed Thomas dearly. He missed the way he threw his head back when he laughed, his crooked grin and his clumsy demeanor. There was something undeniably _special_ about the Bavarian and Mario was still guilt ridden for leaving and breaking the poor man’s heart.

  It was obvious that Thomas and Manuel were happy together. An odd couple at best; with Manuel being shy and quiet – constantly observing and pushing others to do their very best. Thomas was loud and obnoxious with a heart of gold and an undying passion for football. Both had different views on sportsmanship and team ethics but stuck to one another like glue behind closed training sessions.

  Mario had no room in his heart for resentment. Despite the goalkeeper dating his ex, there was no denying he felt drawn toward him. There was some sort of essence about the man that left Mario feeling intoxicated. The striker never really made an effort to sober from it. Instead he would linger beside the goalkeeper during halftime or steal a glances during training.

  Wetting his lips and finding his voice he spoke, simply patting the spot beside him, “Care to join me?”


	2. Chapter 2

  “Come on Mario get up.” Manuel’s voice was strained from all the shouting and directing of the match. Out of everyone he was the most composed, not a hair out of place. His undershirt clung to his slim figure hugging him nicely. Beads of sweat collected at his short sideburns and in turn he wet his lips, reaching down and gripping Mario under the arm tugging him to his feet effortlessly.

  Mario’s blush could be confused with fatigue after running around for a good ninety minutes for Manuel paid no attention to it. Instead he nudged the striker with his elbow, “Let’s head back to the locker rooms, hmm? Jogi will be waiting.” It then hit Mario that he was one of the last men on the pitch, the arena already clearing out and interviews wrapped up. He rubbed the back of his neck slowly following after Manuel, digging his fingernails into the soft nape of his neck when his eyes kept wandering back to the goalkeeper’s round ass.

   Everything dissolved into white noise once again as soon as Mario entered the locker rooms. Even though Manuel had broke off to stand next to the coach he could still feel the goalkeeper's soothing grip on his shoulder. Raising his hand to massage the muscle as if to relieve himself of stress, Mario mimicked the goalkeeper's caress. After a while he found himself staring right through the Jogi, through the crying players, Thomas still nowhere in sight. The sound of water pitter pattering against tiled floor caught his attention.

  Slipping from the group of huddled players yet again Mario peered into the showers where he found Thomas with his head bowed and forehead pressed against the tiled wall. The Bavarian’s body was tense, every muscle well defined, and hands balled into fists. The younger man's shoulder would occasionally shake with each hiccup that escaped his lips. Mario’s throat tightened at the sight, blinking back tears that blurred his vision. Out of every player on die Mannschaft, nothing would ever break his heart more than seeing the heart and soul of the team so distraught.

  Without thinking he approached the grieving player from behind, slowly wrapping his arms around his torso and resting his head against his shoulder. Water soaked his kit instantly, some of the shower spray hitting his eyes. He shut them tight, grimacing when Thomas mewled. Slowly then all at once Thomas let himself break. Every tensed muscle relaxed within an instant of Mario’s embrace. Out of habit Mario placed a kiss against the nape of Thomas’ neck and rubbed soothing circles over the Bavarian’s hipbones.

  “Mario” Thomas warned sharply, snapping Mario from his trance. Immediately, the striker took a step back and raised his hands, “I wasn’t trying to-“

  “Go.”

  Mario ducked his head and retreated back to the others ignoring the odd looks he got. “Did you slip and fall into the toilet?” one of the players joked weakly, a chorus of half-hearted chuckles following the question

“Ha.” Mario peeled the damp kit from his torso a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He had crossed a line but he truly meant no harm. He just wanted to comfort Thomas – he was too affectionate for his own good and it got him in a world of trouble before. He bit back a pang of guilt knowing he had gotten _too_ intimate _too_ fast. Regardless of his good intentions he inwardly scolded himself.

  It hadn’t even _registered_ that the other man was **naked**

  “Well that could have gone a lot worse.” He muttered under his breath, slipping into jogging pants and pulling a burgundy hoodie out from his bag. As soon as he pulled the fleece over his head he was met with Manuel's icy gaze.


	3. Chapter 3

  The silence was unbearable. The few seconds that Manuel towered over the trembling striker felt like hours, each second ticking by painfully slow. Mario opened his mouth to speak but was silenced when Manuel shook his head. Once again he gripped Mario by the arm and helped him to his feet only to guide him to the corner of the room.

  “Manuel I didn’t mean-“ Mario’s sentence was cut short by a gasp of his own when Manuel buried his face against the nape his neck.  
  
  The stoic goalkeeper had lost all control. His deadpan expression and his leadership act worn to the bone. With shaking shoulders and desperate gasps for air he sobbed violently against the striker’s shoulder having moved his face to the soft fabric covering Mario’s broad shoulder. At first Mario stood frozen in place with his feet rooted to the ground unsure of what to do. When the shock melted away replaced by what he could only describe as sorrow, he slowly snaked his arms around Manuel. One hand cradling the back of his head while the other rubbed soothing circles against the small of Manu’s back.

  “Manu, please don't cry.” Mario pleaded in a hushed tone, as if he were afraid to speak any louder the goalkeeper would snap back to reality and pull away. The warmth from the other man was something that Mario  **yearned** for. It was easy for his teammates to show vulnerability around him, after all he was ‘Super Mario’ cunning and dangerous on the pitch but wise and observant off of it. He should have been used to it by now. Dealing with frustrated teammates, listening to their complaints or confusion - even dealing with a few shed tears but this - _this_ was overwhelming.   
  
  Mario's heart swelled with a sick sense of pride that the goalkeeper felt safe enough to show his true emotion. As much as Mario tried to ignore the guilt gnawing at his belly he felt as if this was Thomas’ job to comfort Manuel not his… he furrowed his brows and shut his eyes for a moment, confused by the whirlwind of emotion plaguing his rational.

  “I’m sorry.” Manuel cried, “What else was I to do! We had already lost, what’s another goal?”

  Mario bit back a sigh knowing exactly what Manuel was referring to, “Well contrary to your belief you’re no midfielder.” It was a sharp joke, ill timed but worth a shot. When Manuel pulled away, wiping his face on his undershirt he cracked a smile. For a brief second his baby blue eyes twinkled back to life. It was enough for Mario to chuckle weakly, clasping Manuel’s shoulder, “I’m not Miroslav either." he added, "I may have taken his spot on the team as the _eldest_ but I don’t have his impact.”

  “No one could ever be Miro… But I felt comfortable enough with you to let my guard down for a moment.”

  “So I’m the Opa now? Wonderful.” Mario let his hand drop back to his side.

   Manuel snorted, “ _You're_ the one who said it not me.”

  “Manu?”

  Both men turned around, Mario’s heart leaping in his throat seeing Thomas stand before them. Wet hair clung to his forehead and his eyes were bloodshot. The mischievous glint in his eye and crooked grin nowhere in sight. He had even changed back into his kit.

  For a moment, Mario feared Thomas may explode – lash out at him for what had happened in the shower a few minutes ago. He knew he meant no harm but there was no way of knowing how Thomas interpreted the incident and with Manuel there he was in for a whole world of hurt.

  Mario inwardly cursed himself and dug his nails into the palms of his hands, time seeming to slow down yet again.   
  
   _Stupid, stupid, stupid! How did you not know he was naked, Mario? He was in the **shower** for Christ sake!_  
  
  His concept of time, his concept of reality, it was all a blur. Something wasn’t right from the moment he was reunited with the National Team. It was as if someone had flipped a switch and his mind was on autopilot. Should he apologize? Should he wait and see what happens? Should he beg Manuel not to snap him in half?

  An apology would be a good start - 

  “Yes, Thomas?” Manuel answered, jolting Mario from his thoughts. 

  “Are you ready to go? Everyone is waiting.” 

  Mario couldn’t help but sigh in relief when Thomas had asked the question, seeming to have forgotten (or chosen not to speak about) the incident. Manuel nodded and gave Mario’s shoulder a slap, “C’mon, Super Mario.” he murmured jogging over to Thomas and wrapping his arm around his waist. Mario looked away when Manuel pressed a kiss to Thomas' cheek, wiping the hair from his forehead.

  Manuel pulled Thomas against his side protectively. There was no denying that the Bavarian fit **perfectly** against Manuel’s figure, hand intertwining with the goalkeeper's.

 

  With a heavy heart Mario picked up his gym bag, slung it over his shoulder, and followed the pair to the bus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments so far! It means a lot to see feedback & kudos. I apologize for the short chapters and slow burn feels. There will also be more Thomas/Manuel coming up, it's just hard to write them in a relationship when my focus is on Mario is the main character. 
> 
> Feel free to tell me what you like, your favorite part so far, how it makes you feel - comments are greatly appreciated and are wonderful to wake up to. <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for the rest of the fic: continuous mental health problems such as depression, paranoia, and flashbacks along with general relationship issues.

  The team bus was silent other than the sound of traffic rushing by and the AC humming throughout the vehicle. Mario had been invited (much to his surprise) by Manuel to sit with him and Thomas on the ride home. The goalkeeper was kind enough to let Mario have the window seat although Thomas had shot Mario a jealous look and a snide remark. His complaints were cut short when Manuel pulled the Bavarian onto his lap and kissed his forehead, laughing mirthlessly when Thomas batted him over the head.

  An hour had passed not a word was spoken by anyone. It was as if the life was sucked out of die Mannschaft and replaced with a great cloud of depression.

Mario thought back to the locker room. Where he had attempted to comfort his ex, where he had held his ex’s boyfriend momentarily after he had an inevitable breakdown. It was fucked up that he felt inclined to comfort the both of them as if they didn’t have each other. It was even more fucked up that he wanted the two of them to himself. With each passing day he mourned the days spent with Thomas before things went bad. His envy for Manuel had slowly blossomed into an odd affection and his emotions had taken a turn for the worse. He should have never returned to die Mannschaft-

**“Are you alright?”**

  “Hmm?” Mario furrowed his brows and looked up from where he was slouched in his seat. He hadn’t realized he had pushed himself into the corner as if trying to squeeze himself through the cracks of the bus and onto the busy streets,

“I’m not going to bite you if that’s what you’re worried about.” Manuel went on in a hushed tone trying not to wake Thomas. The youngest out of the three of them had his cheek pressed against Manuel’s. His wiry legs were wrapped firmly around Manu’s torso and his arms had a vital grip around the goalkeeper’s neck.

Mario couldn’t help but snort at that. Manuel was sitting on the edge of his seat trying his best to hold Thomas without waking him or changing their position, “I’m fine but I don’t think your back will be If Thomas keeps up the koala act.”

Manuel mirrored Mario’s smile momentarily before he repeated the question, “Are you sure you’re alright? You’ve pushed yourself tightly against the window I’m afraid it may break.”

“Don’t be ridiculous-“

“You shouldn’t have to hide.” Manuel went on absentmindedly running his fingers through Thomas’ curly hair, the Bavarian whining as he fell in and out of sleep, “After all we are a team. Our downfall was lack of communication and trust.” His eyes flickered back toward Mario as if he knew about his little slip up in the showers.

 _That can’t be possible._ Mario reasoned with himself, _He wouldn’t have broken down and confided in me soon after._

Maybe his judgement remained clouded and he misinterpreted the incident. _But what was there to be misinterpreted?_ His mind reeled as he racked his brain for some form of sanity that he had left. He couldn’t tell the difference between what was real and what was fake. All he knew was that he clearly couldn’t hide his feelings for Thomas in front of the goalkeeper. He found himself lost in Manuel’s eyes yet again, his gaze shifting to Thomas’ sleeping form. It was then he realized that not only did he miss Thomas but he wanted Manuel as well.

That didn’t sit well with the striker for as soon as he turned pale Manuel’s expression changed instantly, “Mario you need to sit up. I’ll get you some water.”

Thomas untangled himself from Manuel and slumped in the seat next to Mario as Manuel got up to grab a water bottle kept in the mini fridge.

“Over thinking again?” Thomas asked raising a brow.

“What?”

“Sit up, Mario.” Thomas sighed, rubbing his temples. Mario slowly sat at full height, stretching his legs and yawning.

“You know I love Manuel.”

_Ouch_

“But much to your concern he isn't aware of the shower incident. If he was he would have tore your head off and I may have let it happen.”

_Double ouch_

“Listen, that shower thing. I know it’s going to eat you alive so let me save you some trouble.” Thomas looked Mario dead in the eye, “Yes, it did cross a line _especially_ since it’s been a while since we’ve had an actual conversation that wasn’t small talk or jokes during training. “

Mario winced not liking where this conversation was going. How long did it take to get a bottle of water on a fucking team bus?

“But I’ve known you long enough to know that it wasn’t done out of spite toward Manuel.” He placed his hand on Mario’s knee and gave it a light squeeze and a thin smile.

“I know you were only trying to comfort me. Just- just don’t let your paranoia get the best of you, okay?”

Mario nodded dumbly, his mouth suddenly very dry.

“Okay”

It was a day filled with forced smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters will remain short so I can but more effort, detail, and care into them. Comments & kudos are appreciated babes!


End file.
